Northern Gulf Institute

The Northern Gulf Institute (NGI) is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Institute started in October 2006. The NGI is a partnership of five academic institutions and NOAA. The collaboration led by Mississippi State University (MSU), includes the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), Louisiana State University (LSU), Florida State University (FSU), and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL). The NGI defines the Northern Gulf of Mexico region as the upland, watershed, coastal zone, and coastal ocean areas from the Sabine River in Louisiana east to the Suwannee River in Florida.

History

The Northern Gulf Institute (NGI) is a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Institute developed within the context of the Memorandum of Agreement between Mississippi State University (MSU) and NOAA. The collaboration led by Mississippi State University (MSU), includes the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), Louisiana State University (LSU), Florida State University (FSU), and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL).

The NGI defines the Northern Gulf of Mexico region as the upland, watershed, coastal zone, and coastal ocean areas the Sabine River in Louisiana east to the Suwannee River in Florida. This region is a rich and interdependent natural environment of great complexity vital to the Nation. The riverine-dominated Northern Gulf ecosystems are under pressure from increasing population and coastal development, impacts from severe storms and climate variability, inland watershed and coastal wetlands degradation, and many other factors. This is the geographic focus for the NGI.

Recognizing the need to integrate research and technology to more effectively address the needs of the Northern Gulf of Mexico, NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) issued an Announcement of Federal Funding Opportunity (OAR-CIPO-2006-2000641) on April 26, 2006. NOAA evaluated and awarded the Northern Gulf Institute Cooperative Institute to the team led by Mississippi State University on October 1, 2006. The award is for a five-year term in the Cooperative Institute Program furthering regional and national interests in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. The institute is consistent with and expands upon the Memorandum of Agreement between MSU and NOAA, the NOAA notice of award to MSU of October 1, 2006, and the NOAA Cooperative Institute Interim Handbook. NGI’s approach to Northern Gulf Regional issues, problems and opportunities is closely aligned with NOAA’s strategic and research priorities. The NGI is also guided in its mission by a number of sources, the White House’s Ocean Action Plan and the 2004 coordinated and comprehensive report of the congressional United States Commission on Ocean Policy, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, and others. The result is an approach that is science driven, regionally focused, and coordinated with other Gulf of Mexico Basin activities.

NGI will be a regional leader providing integrative research and education to improve the resiliency and conservation of the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

NGI conducts high-impact research and education programs in the Northern Gulf of Mexico region focused on integration - integration of the land-coast-ocean-atmosphere continuum; integration of research to operations; and integration of individual organizational strengths into a holistic program. The program shall measurably contribute to the recovery and future health, safety, resilience and productivity of the region, through sustained research and applications in a geospatial and ecosystem context.

The NGI focuses on four research themes that align with NOAA’s research and operational focuses. These themes provide a framework for the activities of the institute. The four NGI Research Themes are:

1. Ecosystem-based Management
2. Geospatial Data/Information and Visualization in Environmental Science
3. Climate Change and Climate Variability Effects on Regional Ecosystems
4. Coastal Hazards and Resiliency

GOAL 1: Develop high-impact regional research programs within the four NGI themes.

Strategies:

• Develop Annual Science Plans that identify core regional issues framed by the four NGI themes that will guide allocation of research funding.
• Establish and implement funding criteria to emphasize multi-organizational collaboration of projects.
• Establish and implement funding criteria to emphasize regional impact of projects.

Objectives:

• NGI Science Plan developed and adopted by Research Fellows and accepted by NOAA.
• NGI Science Plan reviewed/modified annually and adopted by Research Fellows and accepted by NOAA.
• Over the three to five year period, produce a major research finding in each of four themes
• All funded projects will be multi-organizational collaborations.
• All projects will include an assessment of regional impacts, transferability, and potential to increase in scope.

GOAL 2: Develop high-impact regional education and outreach programs within the four NGI themes.

Strategies:

• Adopt and implement funding criteria to emphasize student involvement in projects.
• Involve students in the NOAA and Minority Fellowship programs.
• Develop funding criteria to emphasize outreach activities for each project.
• Conduct major regional outreach activities aligned with development and implementation of the NGI Science Plan.
• Conduct speaker series, workshops and develop training collaborations for core regional issues framed by the four NGI themes.

Objectives:

• All funded projects will involve students.
• Over the three to five year period,
  • 150 students will be funded by NGI
  • 20 NGI students hired into NOAA
  • 25 NOAA Minority Fellowships awarded
  • 25 NOAA Internships awarded
• All funded projects will include an outreach component or activity.
• Over the three to five year period,
  • At least one major outreach activity will be produced in each of the four theme areas.
  • 9 to 15 talks will be sponsored.
  • 9 to 15 workshops will be conducted.
  • 6 to 10 training collaborations will be established.
  • 600 people will have participated in workshops and collaborative training events.

GOAL 3: Create strategic partnerships with other organizations to enhance northern Gulf regional research and educational efforts.

Strategies:

• Utilize the NGI Advisory Council composed of stakeholder organizations to provide strategic guidance to NGI and help create a vital regional community.
• Establish formal relationships with Gulf of Mexico Alliance and the SeaGrant programs of Alabama/Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana.
• Create formal and informal strategic relationships with other organizations to address NGI’s core regional issues framed by the four themes.

Objectives:

• Bi-annual meetings of NGI Advisory Council.
• Establish a formal tie to the Gulf of Mexico Alliance
• Establish formal ties with the SeaGrant programs of Alabama/Mississippi, Florida, and Louisiana.
• Over the three to five year period,
  • 20 strategic relationships will be established.
  • 10 to 12 other funding sources will be established from within the strategic relationships.
  • $15 million in additional funding will be developed.
  • 160 scientists will supported through the NGI-CI.

GOAL 4: Transition research into new or enhanced products and operations.

Strategies:

• Develop research transitions aligned with development and implementation of the NGI Science Plan.
• Establish and implement funding criteria to emphasize transition activities for each relevant project.
• Establish and implement funding allocation to develop research transition projects.

Objectives:

• Over the three to five year period, produce four major research transitions within the 4 theme areas.
• All funded projects will include a plan for transition into use.
• Over the three to five year period, fund 5 transition projects.

GOAL 5: Communicate NGI research, activities, and opportunities through traditional and non-traditional channels.

Strategies:

• Hold an annual conference of all NGI Principal Investigators
• Support quarterly meetings of Research Fellows
• Participate in the Cooperative Institutes Annual Meeting
• Develop the NGI Website to effectively communicate the program’s messages, focusing on timely dissemination of information and completeness of the content,
• Develop the NGIgram to share critical information among strategic partners.
• Initiate and encourage coverage of NGI activities and research in the Northern Gulf region media.
• Establish and implement evaluation criteria to encourage publication and dissemination of research results.

Objectives:

• Conduct Annual NGI Research Conference
• Conduct quarterly meetings of Research Fellows
• Attend annual Cooperative Institutes Directors & Financial Administrators Meeting.
• Create NGI-CI website and populate with pertinent NGI documents and research program information.
• Prepare and disseminate 12 NGIgrams per year.
• Over the three to five year period, outreach activities of the NGI will result in:
  • 30 Press releases
  • 30 Newspaper articles.
  • 8 Television news stories.
  • 50 mentions in media.
• Over the three to five year period, research activities of the NGI will produce:
  • 75 refereed articles.
  • 300 non-refereed articles and research reports.
  • 150 professional conference presentations/posters.

GOAL 6: Build and maintain a NGI framework and culture that fosters collaboration and maximizes human potential.

Strategies:

• Utilize meetings to foster NGI identity and collegiality.
• Develop research infrastructure to facilitate research activities
• Maintain transparency in NGI activities and administration
• Establish mechanisms to encourage and recognize the participation of young researchers and students.
• Establish mechanisms to encourage and reward innovation and excellence.

Objectives:

• Over the three to five year period,
  • Host 30 NGI meetings.
  • 750 attendees at the NGI meetings.
• Annually review and update:
  • the NGI Strategic Plan
  • the NGI Science Plan
  • the NGI Implementation Plan
  • the NGI Web Page
• Over the three to five year period, 10-15 externally funded projects will managed within NGI
• Over the three to five year period,
  • 5 Students will receive NGI Awards/Honors
  • 5 Researchers will receive NGI Awards/Honors
  • 15 Nominations for award
  • 25 NGI Student Internships will be awarded

• Northern Gulf Institute
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
  • NOAA Cooperative Research Institutes